The MMA paradigm has shifted with Machida leading the way. I can’t see anyone giving him a run for his money for a long, long time. Evans, as well as everyone else in the division, must go back to the drawing board.

Krzysztof Soszynski [34] vs. Andre Gusmao [42]

MMA Records: Soszynski (17-8-1); Gusmao (5-1)

UFC Records: Soszynski (2-0); Gusmao (0-1)

Result: Soszynski winner by 1st round KO. Soszynski rises to 29.

Krzysztof is slowly moving up the ladder with his 3rd stoppage in the UFC in as many fights.

Silva could have thrown Leites under the bus for the bad performance but didn’t. It was an admirable post fight interview in the face of an angry crowd. As far as the fighting goes, Silva is literally untouchable at 185.

Preview: Diego has never been finished in his career. Joe has been finished by rear-naked choke in 2 of his last 3 fights. This is Diego’s 1st fight at 155 so his stamina may be a question mark. Will he gas in the 2nd or 3rd round? I don’t think Joe can stop Diego but he may win the standup game. If and when Diego gets the fight to the floor, he could very well end it there. If he doesn’t gas, I got Diego by ground and pound.

Result:

185 lbs. – Nathan Marquardt [6] vs. Wilson Gouveia [22]

MMA Records: Marquardt (27-8-2); Gouveia (12-5)

UFC Records: Marquardt (6-2); Gouveia (6-2)

Preview: These are 2 of the most well-rounded fighters in the division. Gouveia has looked very good in his last 2 fights and i’m sure he’s getting better every day at American Top Team. But Marquardt is a different animal. I don’t see Wilson stopping him. I do see Marquardt getting the TKO maybe in the 2nd or 3rd round starting with strikes.

Result:

185 lbs. – Demian Maia [12] vs. Chael Sonnen [18]

MMA Records: Maia (9-0); Sonnen (21-9-1)

UFC Records: Maia (4-0); Sonnen (1-2)

Preview: Demian Maia is blazing hot right now. He’s submitted all 4 of his opponents in the UFC. Sonnen is a tough, gritty wrestler in the mold of Matt Lindland and the guys at Team Quest. He likes to beat you down for 3 round. He is susceptible to submissions however. He’s lost 5 times that way. I really don’t see any way he can beat Maia. I think it will end with Maia getting his 4th rear-naked choke in the UFC.

Result:

170 lbs. – Dan Hardy [22] vs. Rory Markham [53]

MMA Records: Hardy (20-6); Markham (16-4)

UFC Records: Hardy (1-0); Markham (1-0)

Result:

170 lbs. – Josh Koscheck [4] vs. Paulo Thiago

MMA Records: Koscheck (12-3); Thiago (10-0)

UFC Records: Koscheck (10-3); Thiago (0-0)

Preview: Thiago has 7 submissions on his ledger. Three have come by arm-triangle. The only way this fight is going to the ground is if Josh takes it there. Koscheck will show-off his striking and get the KO or TKO depending on how tough Thiago’s chin is.

Result:

HVY – Junior dos Santos [24] vs. Stefan Struve

MMA Records: dos Santos (7-1); Struve (16-2)

UFC Records: dos Santos (1-0); Struve (0-0)

Result: Struve has 18 fights…none have gone to the judges. He has won 12 times by submission (6 by triangle-choke). Junior made a ton of noise in his UFC debut by knocking out Fabricio Werdum with a vicious uppercut. He has tremendous hand speed and power. His only loss was 2 years ago by armbar. There is still a lot we don’t know about him so we will surely find out more in this one. If the fight goes to the ground, Struve may have a chance to lock in a submission. If it stays standing then there is little doubt Junior will get a knockout.

Preview: Joe Lauzon has never been in a fight that has gone to a decision. Of his 17 wins, 13 have been by submission. Jeremy Stephens has the type of punching power that puts guys out for 5 minutes or more. He has 5 KO’s and 5 TKO’s on his record. He’s coming of a highlight-reel KO of Rafael dos Anjos in November. If this fight stays standing, Stephens will win. Lauzon must get it to the ground quickly.

Result: Lauzon winner by 2nd round submission (armbar)

Lauzon stayed away from the powerful striking of Stephens by getting the fight to the ground early and often. Stephens did end of landing some explosive ground and pound but Lauzon defended it and dominated the grappling. The armbar was textbook. In order for Lauzon to keep rising in the rankings, however, he must beat someone like his originally scheduled opponent Hermes Franca. Lauzon rises to 37. Stephens stays at 59.

155 lbs. – Josh Neer [29] vs. Mac Danzig [50]

MMA Records: Neer (24-7-1); Danzig (18-5-1)

UFC Records: Neer (3-4); Danzig (2-1)

Preview: These two guys are gutsy veterans that are solid in all areas. I have no idea who’s going to win this fight and where it will end. Danzig is coming off a Unanimous Decision loss to Clay Guida [21] in September. Neer lost a Split Decision to Nate Diaz [28], also in September. If I had to put my money on someone, it would be Neer by decision.

Result: Neer winner by 2nd round submission (Triangle choke)

Great fight. Josh Neer is gritty, gutsy and every other adjective for tough. The guy always comes forward. Mac rocked him a couple times but Neer kept coming. Neer’s ground and pound was crushing. He also stood in the pocket and traded on the feet. He finally secured a tight triangle in the 2nd round to get the win. It’s the 1st time in his career that Mac has been submitted. Neer rises to 24. Mac rises to 46.

170 lbs. – Anthony Johnson [15] vs. Luigi Fioravanti [24]

MMA Records: Johnson (6-2); Fioravanti (14-4)

UFC Records: Johnson (3-2); Fioravanti (4-4)

Preview: Anthony Johnson is a physical freak at 170 lbs. He’s huge and super athletic. His last 3 wins have come by KO. Luigi has been slowly climbing the ladder at Welterweight. He’s a pretty good striker with good takedown defense. Unfortunately, Johnson is better in all areas. I got Johnson by 2nd round TKO.

Result: Johnson winner by 1st round TKO.

Another impressive win for the rising star Anthony Johnson. It’s time for him to take on a top 10 guy. Johnson rises to 14. Luigi drops to 33.

HVY – Cain Velasquez [20] vs. Denis Stojnic

MMA Records: Velasquez (4-0); Stojnic (5-1)

UFC Records: Velasquez (2-0); Stojnic (0-0)

Preveiw: All of Cain’s wins have been 1st round TKO’s. He is a very good wrestler with good ground and pound. He is being groomed to be the next Heavyweight star. I don’t know much about Stojnic but he will be hard-pressed to prevent a vicious ground and pound. Cain by TKO.

Result: Velasquez winner by 2nd round TKO.

Cain has the tools to be a champion but he needs to take a step up in competition. His relentless pace, toughness and skills need to be tested at the top 10 level. Cain stays at 20.

185 lbs. – Dan Miller [47] vs. Jake Rosholt [76]

MMA Records: Miller (10-1); Rosholt (5-0)

UFC Records: Miller (2-0); Rosholt (0-0)

Preview: This could be a great fight. Miller has great submissions. Jake has great wrestling. Both are super tough and willing to strike. This could go either way but I’ll pick Miller by Split Decision.

Result: Miller winner by 1st round submission (Guillotine choke)

Miller’s jiu-jitsu beat out Rosholt’s wrestling. Dan Miller is a name to recognize in the middleweight division. Hopefully he’ll get a contender in his next fight. Miller rises to 34. Rosholt stays at 76.

155 lbs. – Rich Clementi [33] vs. Gleison Tibau [49]

MMA Records: Clementi (32-13-1); Tibau (15-6)

UFC Records: Clementi (5-4); Tibau (3-3)

Preview: Clementi is always on the verge of being one of the elite. He’s solid in all areas and knows all the tricks. Tibau is a super big, strong grappler. He looks to outmuscle his opponents and ground and pound. I don’t think he can do that to Clementi. He’s too crafty. Clementi by Unanimous Decision.

Result: Tibau winner by 1st round submission (guillotine choke)

Tibau’s grappling was too much for Clementi to handle. He landed a crushing guillotine that Rich couldn’t escape. Tibau rises to 36. Clementi drops to 39.

155 lbs. – Kurt Pellegrino [42] vs. Rob Emerson [56]

MMA Records: Pellegrino (12-4); Emerson (8-6)

UFC Records: Pellegrino (4-3); Emerson (2-0, 1 No Contest)

Preview: Pellegrino has a good jiu-jitsu game and solid standup but his best trait is his toughness. He will go out there and lay it on the line. He’s coming off a victory over Thiago Tavares [44]. Rob Emerson is coming off his biggest win: a 12 second KO of Manny Gamburyan [68]. This is a step up in competition for him. He’s never beaten anyone at Kurt’s level. One thing he has going for him is that he’s never been stopped. All 6 losses have come by Decision. I have a feeling this will be number 7.

Result: Pellegrino winner by 2nd round submission (rear-naked choke)

The standup was pretty even throughout but when Kurt finally decided to take the fight to the mat, it was finished in minutes. Pellegrino rises to 38. Emerson drops to 59.

170 lbs. – Steve Bruno [71] vs. Matt Riddle

MMA Records: Bruno (12-4) Riddle (1-0)

UFC Records: Bruno (1-1); Riddle (1-0)

Result: Riddle winner by unanimous decision

Riddle controlled the grappling and Bruno had absolutely no defense for the ground and pound. Riddle debuts at 65. Bruno drops to 75.

185 lbs. – Derek Downey vs. Nick Catone

MMA Records: Downey (10-3); Catone (5-0)

UFC Records: Downey (0-0); Catone (0-0)

Result: Catone winner by 2nd round submission (keylock)

Catone dominated the fight with his explosive wrestling and ground and pound. He twisted Downey’s arm for the keylock finish. Catone debuts at 77.

155 lbs. – Matt Grice [70] vs. Matt Veach

MMA Records: Grice (9-1); Veach (10-0)

UFC Records: Grice (1-1); Veach (0-0)

Result: Veach winner by 1st round TKO.

This is a round of the year candidate and maybe a fight of the year candidate as well. Veach got knocked down early and looked finished but he showed unbelieveable toughness in surviving and getting back to his feet. They traded some more and then Veach landed a right cross that was the beginning of the end. Great fight. Veach debuts at 67. Grice drops to 71.

Preview: Of all the great fights this month, this is the greatest. Both Penn and St. Pierre are among the handful of fighters that everyone in the world respects. They are masters of the craft. They are both boiling hot right now. Their minds are right and their games are tight. St. Pierre has the best takedowns in the game. Penn has the best takedown defense. Both have great jabs. Penn’s submissions are legendary. St. Pierre’s elbows are the best in the world. If you’re an MMA fan, you cannot miss this fight. It will go down in the history books. Both men will be judged by it. It could easily go either way. I’m taking St. Pierre by Split Decision.

Result: St. Pierre winner by 4th roudn TKO.

GSP’s skill level is in another galaxy. He is so far beyond everyone else it is frightening. Penn got smashed. He must stay at 155 where he is the king. It wasn’t too long ago that Welterweight was considered the most talented along with Light-Heavyweight. The fact that GSP cleaned out the division is incredible. He won the Canadian athlete of the year in 2008. In 2009, he may become recognized as the best athlete in the world. GSP stays at 1.

205 lbs. – Lyoto Machida [4] vs. Thiago Silva [8]

MMA Records: Machida (13-0); Silva (13-0)

Preview: Speaking of hot. Whoever wins this fight is the next MMA superstar. The winner will more than likely take on Rashad Evans [1] for the belt. Both guys possess similar skills but with a glaring difference in style. Lyoto is very methodical (8 of 13 wins by decision) Thiago is a hyper-aggressive (12 of 13 wins by stoppage) A match between Yin and Yang. It could be special. Or it could be one sided. It would seem Thiago is tailor-made for Lyoto’s counter striking. Then again, Thiago could put enough pressure on Lyoto to fluster him. All that being said, I just don’t see Machida losing to anyone (including Rashad) right now. Machida by Unanimous Decision.

Result: Machida winner by 1st round KO.

Machida’s performance was his most dominating yet. He owned Silva. People criticized his patient style but he showed he can end things violently. Noone can touch him right now….including Rashad Evans. Machida rises to 2. Silva drops to 17.

170 lbs. – Karo Parisyan [8] vs. Dong Hyun Kim [58]

MMA Records: Parisyan (18-5); Kim (11-0-1)

Preview: This is great Judo-player vs. great Judo-player. They may cancel eachother out. It may come down to striking. Kim is the taller fighter but Karo is way more experienced. I would be very surprised if Karo were to lose. Karo by Unanimous Decision.

Result: Parisyan winner by Split Decision.

Karo got the win but Kim was the one who impressed me. I didn’t think he had a chance but he nearly got the win. Kim dominated Karo in the 1st round but was edged out in the latter 2. Karo did not look like a top 10 fighter.

205 lbs. – Stephan Bonnar [18] vs. Jon Jones [38]

MMA Records: Bonnar (11-4); Jones (6-0)

Preview: Jon Jones is a very promising young fighter. Stephan Bonnar is a grizzled veteran. Jones will have his day in the sun but not right now and not against Bonnar. It could be a close fight but Bonnar will find a way to win. Bonnar by Split Decision.

Result: Jones winner by Unanimous Decision

If Jones gets his cardio up to par then he will be contending for the belt in a couple years. He looked amazing in the first 2 rounds. It was one of the most dynamic MMA displays I have ever seen. Jones landed some crazy strikes and sick takedowns. Bonnar’s heart and chin kept him from getting KO’d. He just ran into a rising star. Jones rises to 13. Bonnar stays at 18.

155 lbs. – Clay Guida [27] vs. Nate Diaz [28]

MMA Records: Guida (24-9); Diaz (10-2)

Preview: Clay Guida wins his fights by setting a pace which his opponents can’t match. He’s relentless and overwhelming. Nate Diaz submits people. He’s hot right now and watch out for his triangle choke. I’m sure Guida will be. I think Diaz has the better boxing so Guida will probably take him to the mat. From there, it will either be Guida’s ground and pound or Diaz’s submissions that win the contest. I think Guida is savvy enough to avoid Nate’s submissions. Guida by Unanimous Decision.

Result: Guida winner by Split Decision.

Nate did more damage but Guida got the win because of his wrestling. It wasn’t exciting. Guida literally spent 90% of the fight bear-huggin Diaz. He didn’t land hardly any strikes but he maintained control. Diaz wasn’t strong enough to escape. Guida rises to 21. Diaz stays at 28.

170 lbs. – Jon Fitch [3] vs. Akihiro Gono [22]

MMA Records: Fitch (17-3); Gono (28-13-7)

Preview: Jon Fitch has been relegated to undercard status due to contractual disputes with Dana White. You don’t want to get on Dana’s bad side. Just ask Matt Lindland. As for the fight, I think it will be a good one. Fitch will get the takedowns and Gono will try to land a submission. Fitch is an animal on the ground and Gono is one of the smartest fighters in the world. It should be interesing to watch it play out. I doubt Fitch will finish Gono but he will get the Unanimous Decision.

Result: Fitch winner by Unanimous Decision

Fitch dominated from start to finish with takedowns and ground and pound. It took all of Gono’s craftiness to survive. Fitch stays at 3. Gono drops to 27.

155 lbs. – Thiago Tavares [46] vs. Manny Gamburyan [64]

MMA Records: Tavares (13-3); Gamburyan (8-3)

Result: Tavares winner by Unanimous Decision

Thiago’s takedowns and slightly more effective striking get him the win in a relatively lackluster fight. Tavares rises to 44. Gamburyan drops to 68.

205 lbs. – Jake O’Brien [NR] vs. Christian Wellisch

MMA Records: O’Brien (10-2); Wellisch (8-4)

Result: O’Brien winner by Split Decision

O’Brien gassed big-time in the 3rd round but put enough takedowns in the bank to eak out the win.

O’Brien debuts at 45.

170 lbs. – Chris Wilson [25] vs. John Howard

MMA Records: Wilson (14-4); Howard (10-4)

Result: Howard winner by Split Decision

This was a really good fight. Back and forth they went trading strikes and takedowns but Howard had the slight edge. He had back control in the 3rd round which pretty much sealed it for him. Howard debuts at 25. Wilson drops to 28.

170 lbs. – Matt Arroyo vs. Dan Cramer

MMA Records: Arroyo (3-2); Cramer (0-0)

Result: Cramer winner by Split Decision

Pretty unimpressive fight. Cramer must improve his finishing instincts to become ranked.

Preview: Whoever wins this fight will join the top of the pack in the lightweight division. After winning a decision in his 1st career fight, Jamie Varner has got a stoppage in his last 14 victories. He is a top level boxer with very good wrestling. He’s tough and has great stamina. Donald Cerrone won his 1st 8 fights by submission before winning a decision over Rob McCullough in one of the best fights in WEC history. Despite his gaudy submission resume, Cerrone can also strike. I don’t see him KOing Varner though. This could be an early fight-of-the-year candidate. Both guys are in their primes and both are hungry. I’m going with Cerrone by submission in the 4th round.

Result: Varner winner by Split Decision.

This fight was back and forth with Varner getting the takedowns at will. Cerrone worked a nice guard but ultimately couldn’t submit him. In the 5th round, Jamie was grazed by an illegal knee and the fight went to the judges who gave him the nod. He isn’t going to win many fans over after this one. The blow didn’t look that bad but he writhed about on the canvas as if he’d just been soccer kicked by Wanderlei Silva. The crowd booed his post-fight interview and he told them to f*ck off. Very immature reaction. Cerrone, meanwhile, could barely see after having both eyes swollen shut from punches by Varner. He gained a lot of fans with his gutsy performance. Varner has looked good his last few times out. It would be interesting to see how he would perform against a UFC lightweight. Varner rises to 36. Cerrone stays at 51.

145 lbs. – Urijah Faber [2] vs. Jens Pulver [10]

MMA Records: Faber (21-2); Pulver (22-10-1)

Preview: These guys just fought a 5-round war in June. Pulver’s heart was apparent but only because Faber was beating him pretty good. Faber took the Unanimous Decision but has since lost. Pulver is backed up against the wall. He’s lost 4 of his last 5 fights. He desperately needs a win. Faber needs to avoid losing 2 in a row. It will be interesting to see how Faber responds to being stopped in the 1st round. Will he be more cautious? I doubt it. He’s a wild man and will push the pace as always. Can Pulver still hang with the top fighters? I doubt it. Faber will get a 1st or 2nd round KO.

Result: Faber winner by 1st round submission (guillotine choke).

Faber caught Jens with a vicious liver shot that was the beginning of the end. Pulver couldn’t recover and Urijah finished him. Jens has lost 3 in a row but they have come against the best in the world. Maybe he can’t compete against the top 10 but he is still a tough out for anyone. Faber stays at 2. Pulver drops to 15.

170 lbs. – Danillo Villefort vs. Mike Campbell

MMA Records: Villefort (8-2); Campbell (4-0)

Result: Villefort winner by 1st round TKO.

Danillo is a great grappler training at the prestigious American Top Team (ATT). This is his 2nd high-profile win in a row (he beat highly regarded Middleweight Mike Massenzio his last time out.) Future opponents will be well-advised to look out for his knee-bar. Villefort debuts at 62.

145 lbs. – Jose Aldo [18] vs. Rolando Perez

MMA Records: Aldo (12-1); Perez (4-1-1)

Result: Aldo winner by 1st round KO.

Watch out for Jose Aldo. He has one of the most technically sound striking games in the division, if not the most sound. The scary part is that isn’t even his greatest strength. He’s a blackbelt in jiu-jitsu. He will get a title shot very soon. Aldo rises to 12.

Information on Website

A fighter can rise in the rankings despite losing if he turns in a high-level performance.

Generally for a fighter to debut in the rankings, he must beat an established opponent or win several fights in a row impressively.

A fighter will be removed from the rankings after 2 years of inactivity or after poor performance.

(NR) means the fighter has yet to establish himself in their new weight class or is fighting outside his regular weight class or is coming off a 2-year layoff.

If a fight is at a catchweight, I will consider it at whatever division it is closest to. Example: A fight at 160 lbs. will be considered a lightweight fight (155 lbs.) rather than a welterweight fight (170 lbs.) because it’s only 5 lbs. away from lightweight rather than 10 lbs. for welterweight. If the weight difference is even, I will consider it a fight in the higher weight class.